User Spotlight #4: From Being Rejected to Winning Top Hackathons: Abhishek’s Hackathon Journey
Background
Abhishek Yadav is a passionate builder from India with a background in computer engineering. He has always been drawn to innovation in tech. With experience as a technical content writer and participation in hackathons across various levels, Abhishek sought ways to expand his expertise into Web3 and find opportunities in Developer Relations (Dev Rel) and technical writing. His journey into Web3 began with HackQuest, where he explored co-learning tracks like Arbitrum & Linea, which helped deepen his understanding of blockchain.
Early on, Abhishek was introduced to blockchain during an honors program where he encountered a few advanced tech options, including blockchain. Fascinated by its decentralized potential, he decided to dive deeper. By his third year, he had started attending local hackathons, even when major events were limited, often joining smaller projects to build up his experience. These events became an avenue to ask questions, network, and learn from industry peers about what they were building and how.
Breaking into Hackathons – A Rocky Start
Abhishek’s journey into hackathons wasn’t smooth from the start. After applying to the prestigious ETHGlobal Hackathon, he was initially rejected, which left him feeling disappointed but determined. Instead of letting the setback discourage him, Abhishek decided to focus on building his skills by tackling smaller projects. He saw each small feature as a stepping stone toward completing larger projects, and he soon realized that complex projects are simply smaller ideas put together with more detail.
From Being Rejected to Winning A Top Place
This experience also led him to join local hackathons, where he gained hands-on experience and strengthened his skills in a supportive environment. With a dedicated and motivated team around him, Abhishek found that learning was a crucial part of improving. He developed the resilience needed to handle rejections and build on his experiences. This rocky start ultimately set the foundation for his growth and success in future hackathons, including his top performance at CoinDCX’s event and the multiple accolades that followed.
In Fall 2023, he joined the CoinDCX hackathon, where he was able to utilize resources like Hyperlink and assistance from sponsors to complete the project, earning top placement. His hard work was starting to pay off, reinforcing his belief in continuous learning and adapting to new technologies.
Through these experiences, Abhishek developed not only technical skills but also a resilient mindset that helped him succeed in high-stakes, fast-paced hackathon environments.
The Journey Through Hacker House Goa – Building OwnSound
The opportunity to participate in Hacker House Goa, a beachside hackathon sponsored by HackQuest, was one Abhishek couldn’t pass up. He arrived with his team, "Qoneqt," a group of talented developers, each with unique strengths that contributed to building something impactful.
Day 1 was all about ideation, brainstorming to create a decentralized app (DApp) that would serve the Web3 community in a meaningful way. After discussing various concepts with mentors, the team decided to focus on the music industry. By the end of the day, they had outlined the vision for OwnSound—a Web3 platform that redefines music ownership and transparency for both artists and listeners.
Building OwnSound was no easy feat. Days 3 and 4 were filled with intense coding sessions, debugging, and overcoming technical hurdles, especially around using Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHEVM) for secure data handling. With support from the Inco Network team and guidance from Swayam Karle, an Integrations Engineer, the team managed to resolve critical issues and refine the platform’s core functionalities.
On Day 5, the team was ready to demo OwnSound. The judges responded positively, impressed by the platform’s potential to empower artists and redefine digital music ownership. Though time constraints required a swift presentation, Abhishek and his team successfully showcased OwnSound’s unique approach.
OwnSound is designed with multiple layers of encryption and blockchain storage to ensure digital ownership and privacy for artists and listeners.
Here’s how it works:
This intricate, multi-layered approach guarantees privacy, transparency, and secure ownership for both artists and listeners. Abhishek’s team “Qoneqt” submitted this project to Linea July/August Dev Cook-off hosted by HackQuest and won the Consumer Crpyto Track with $4K prize!
Key Challenges and Lessons Learned
In building OwnSound, Abhishek faced significant technical hurdles with FHEVM, which limited encryption capabilities to 32-byte values. To address this, the team implemented a double encryption process using AES to shrink the data, followed by re-encryption with FHEVM. This approach allowed them to maintain privacy and security in managing IPFS hashes, despite the limitations of emerging tech like FHEVM.
Advice for Builders
Through his experience at Hacker House Goa and previous hackathons, Abhishek gained several insights that transcended technical knowledge:
The Road Ahead – Reflections and Future Goals
Looking back on his journey, Abhishek sees hackathons as more than competitions—they are collaborative learning experiences that build confidence and community. His work on OwnSound reinforced the value of persistence, adaptability, and teamwork, especially in a rapidly evolving field like Web3.
Abhishek’s advice to fellow learners and developers is clear: actively participate, seek guidance, and never hesitate to ask questions. To him, hackathons are stepping stones, offering not only technical growth but also valuable personal and professional insights.
For Abhishek, the journey in Web3 has just begun, and with his sights set on future hackathons and DevRel opportunities, he is ready to continue pushing boundaries and exploring new possibilities. Ready to follow Abhishek’s footsteps? Start your own Web3 journey with HackQuest today!